Harvest Monday 02/20/12

Now that the Aero Garden is just now replanted not even any basil to report this week.  I have all my seed and a planting schedule worked out.  The nursery is all set up and ready to go.  I did plant a dozen tomato seed yesterday for patio tomatoes in the hopes of having fresh tomatoes from them by around the 4th of July rather than the middle to end of August from the garden.  I have also planted 2 tomato seed and 2 pepper seed in the Aero Garden that I plan on trying to grow in there to maturity.  If it works I may be able to have fresh tomatoes and peppers all winter.

Now I need to get the planting scheme out of my head and onto paper to see where everything is going to fit before I start planting seed.  Since most of my garden is a large garden and not raised beds it is a little more difficult.

On the 10th of January I planted a couple of tomatoes just to see how the new starter kit for the Aero Garden worked and so far I am very satisfied with the results.  Did 2 peppers but only 1 germinated.

Also my onion seed have hatched.

Sruttgarters on the right and Aisle on the left.  The Aisle seem to be a little slower germinating.  These are both new to me and am hoping for a good crop of onions this year.

Don't forget to check in at Daphne's Dandelions and see who else is harvesting and what others are doing to get ready for the up coming growing season. 

Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard 01/26

It has been a fun week both adding to the cupboard and taking from it.  It was time to stock the freezer with breakfast for DB.  Made the usual buckwheat pancakes which made 7 mornings, banana muffins using some of the manager's special bananas from the freezer and applesauce muffins with previously canned applesauce.  That was 15 large muffins so another 15 mornings.

 

 

Every Friday I make soup of some sort for DB's lunches on the weekend.  This past weekend was no exception.  Made vegetable beef soup that actually gave us 6 larges bowls of soup.  In the soup besides the beef stock I had made earlier there was also home canned tomatoes and green beans.  Total cost for the pot of soup $1.33.

Thursday night Paprika Wiener Schnitzel, Spaetzle and Brussels Sprouts from the freezer.  No cost on this meal but estimate $5.00

Friday night for dinner was mac and cheese with canned tomatoes and cut up hot dogs in the casserole.  Please don't ask but DB insists he doesn't like mac and cheese but that sure went down in a hurry.  The tomatoes were from last summers stash of canned tomatoes and the cheese and hot dogs were from manager's specials quietly tucked away in the freezer.  1 pound of OM all beef hotdogs $1.00.  Only needed 1/2 pound.  Also include if the fare for the night was left over green beans and a green salad.  Total night out at our eating counter $2.00

Saturday night Roasted Cornish Game hens, twice baked potatoes and dill buttered fresh carrots.  Nothing in the offering from the garden this night but boy it was good.  $4.22

Sunday night dug out an old favorite recipe for Tuna Melt.  I had also made Vegetable beef Soup for the weekend lunch so we had that along with the Melts where were served on homemade hamburger buns.  $3.60

Monday night we repeated the Mac and cheese but this time with corn and a green salad.  Mac and Cheese was free the the corn and Salad were $.60

Tuesday we finished up the Tuna Melt and Soup.  Filling for the Melt was free so it was just the soup and rolls out of pocket so $.70

Wednesday my version of Philly Cheese Steak on homemade hero rolls and fried onions and potatoes from the canned potatoes from the garden last fall.  Again no cost on this meal.

I posted the recipe for Basil/garlic/cheese butter Basil/garlic/cheese butter so thought I would show a picture of it when I made it this week.

My recipe to share this week is Brown and Serve Rolls.  This is my go to roll recipe for dinner rolls, hamburger buns, hot dog buns.  I keep them in the freezer all the time.

BROWN 'N SERVE ROLLS

2 pkgs. dry yeast

3/4 c. water

3/4 c. milk

1/2 c. sugar

2 tsp. salt

1/4 c. Crisco

4 to 4 1/2 c. flour

Dissolve yeast in 105 to 115 degree water. Scald milk. Add sugar, salt and Crisco to

milk, stirring until Crisco melts. Let cool. Add yeast and water mixture. Add 2 1/2

cups flour and beat (with electric mixer) until smooth.

By hand, add rest of flour and knead about 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl, then

turn greased side of dough up. Cover, let rise in warm place until double (about 1

1/2 hours). Punch dough down, make into rolls and place in greased pans. Cover

and let rise until double (about 45 minutes). Heat oven to 275 degrees and bake 20

to 30 minutes. DO NOT allow rolls to brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

Place rolls in plastic bag and store in refrigerator or freezer. At serving time, brown

rolls in 400 degree oven for 7 to 10 minutes.

Rolls may be baked after second rising in 400 degree oven for 12 to 15

minutes.

This makes 18 parker house dinner rolls.  These are the hamburger buns and hero rolls made this week.

Stop and take a peek at our host site for Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard The Gardener of Eden and see what others are using from or putting in their cupboards from their garden.

Harvest Monday 01/23/12

It has been a rather busy week but did manage to get the last harvest from my Aero Garden.  Basil came through one more time with about 2 1/2 oz.  This was enough to make basil/garlic/cheese butter.  I then tore down the garden, cleaned it well as started over.  This time there are 2 pods of tomatoe, 2 pods of green peppers, 2 pods of basil and am trying 1 pod of lettuce for the last time.  The basil is up already.  I plan on raising the tomatoes and peppers to maturity in the Aero Garden.

I too have finished my seed orders.  Not sure what kind of a garden I will have since most of the varieties are completely new to me.

Bush Beefsteak Toms                   

King of the North Peppers                          

Provider green beans                   

Marketmore 76 cucummbers                    

Black Zucchini                   

Baby Pam Pumpkin                        

Detroit Red short top beets                       

Tom thumb Lettuce                       

Ventura Celery                

Muscade Carrots                             

Tendercrisp Celery                         

Calabrese Green Sprout Broccoli                              

Henderson Wakefield Cabbage                

Ailsa Craig Onion                             

Stuttgarter Onion                           

Giant Naples Cauliflower                             

Walthams Butternut Squash                      

Table Queen Acorn Squash

                                                               

Saved Seed                       

Burbank Tomatoes                         

Dave's Italian Tomatoes                               

Delicious Tomatoes                        

Jersey Giant Tomatoes

Wurley Tomatoes (from a friend)                            

Paprika Peppers (Thanks Robin)    
Brussels Sprouts (left over seed)           

I have also posted on the sidebar all of my hopeful crops and will attempt to keep a profit and loss sheet running there.  Thanks Daphne for the help with the setup.

I did find out that I have 2 plots at the Community Garden so I can get started on planning my planting layout which will include a new raised bed here.

Don't forget to go to Daphne's Dandelions our host for Harvest Monday and see what everyone else is doing in their gardens. 

Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard 01/18

Did quite well at using garden preserves this week but a little surprised at the cost of one dinner.

Thursday we had Swiss Steak (that is what my Mom called it but really braised cube steak with onions), boiled potatoes and canned carrots from the garden.  $3.46.  Cubed steak was a managers special and was marked down over $1 a pound.  This was a meal for two.

Friday night was the kicker.  Dinner for 2 Chili and Johnny Cake.  Used green peppers from the freezer and home canned tomatoes.  Total cost of the chili was $5.13.  Total cost of the meal $6.45.

Saturday night dinner for 4 Chicken, biscuits and gravy and Broccoli in Cheese sauce.  Unfortunately absolutely nothing from the garden.  Total price $6.88.

Sunday dinner for 2. Chili and Johnny Cake.  Free.  Also 3 individual meals of Chili went into the freezer.

Monday Dinner for 1 Chicken Biscuit and Gravy and left over carrots from Thursday.  Free.  Also got 2 quarts of Chicken Stock canned and 5 oz. of chicken fat in freezer.

Tuesday dinner for 2 made calzones and marinara sauce.  Green peppers and basil from the freezer and home canned tomatoes.  Total cost $2.37

Wednesday dinner for 1 Calzone with Marinara sauce and romaine with blue cheese dressing .  Total cost $.44.

All in all less than $20 for the week spent on Dinner.  DB ate Johnny Cake or Biscuits very morning for breakfast.


Made an apple cobbler this week with canned apple pie filling that I did about 3 years ago.


Apple Cobbler
1Qt. Apple Pie Filling
1 C Flour Sifted
1/2 C Sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C milk
1/4 C soft butter.


Sift dry ingredients together.  Add milk and butter at once and beat until smooth.  Pour over apple filling in an 8" round cake pan.  Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon if desired and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

 Be sure to visit our host for Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard at The Gardener of Eden and see what others used from their cupboard or put in their cupboard from their garden.

Harvest Monday 01/16/12

I have no harvest this week however the basil will be ready in another few days for a nice picking again.
This week ordered most of my seed for the garden however I only did half of my order to Bakers Creek.  I must has been sleeping while doing it so will finish that today.

For the first time this year I am going to try and do cost vs. harvest which I have never done before. So far I have it on the computer and will be posting it here shortly.  Still learning this blog thing so takes a while.

This year everything I am growing is open pollinating so have to get busy on my layout to prevent cross pollination.  I was pleased to learn this week that I will have 2 plots at the community garden this year so that will increase my space and give me a place to plant some things away from here that might cross pollinate.

I did receive my second aero garden and have a couple of tomato seed and a couple of pepper seed in it with the seed starter plugs to see just how it is going to work.  By summer I hope to have the extender light for one of them so I can grow peppers and tomatoes over the winter.  Did some research and have found so recipes for making your own nutrient mix for them so that can save some money.

This post is part of Harvest Monday which can be found at our host Daphne's Dandelions every Monday Morning.  Stop by and see what others are growing and harvesting.

Thursday's Kichen Cupboard

Another week as passed but the pantry stock only went down I am afraid this week other than a batch of buckwheat pancakes that I whipped up and froze for my brother's breakfast.  Also made Artisan white bread dough.  One loaf was baked for bread over the weekend and the rest of the dough is waiting to be baked.

Thursday night we went all out for dinner.  Pan seared NY Strip with reduced red wine sauce, Baked Potato, Canned green beans from the garden and Cabbage with cheese sauce from the garden.  No price.

Friday night one meal was free.  It was a TV dinner made with left overs pulled from the freezer.  The other was Liver and Onions, Baked Potato and Cabbage in Cheese Sauce  total $1.55

Saturday night was dinner for 4.  Roast pork, boiled potatoes with gravy, boxed stuffing and green beans Almondine with frozen green beans from the garden.  Total cost $8.00

Sunday night Spaghetti and Meat Balls.  No price

Monday night one meal was free.  Another TV dinner made from leftovers.  The other was just a burger with onions.  About $1.50

Tuesday night Left over Roast Pork with gravy, box of stuffing and Green Beans Almondine.  Only cost was the stuffing.  $1 plus another TV dinner is now in the freezer with all of the leftovers.

Wednesday night is dinner for one.  It was shrimp Scampi over rice with Basil/Garlic compound butter.  Normally this is made with 6 Shrimp and would cost about $2 a person but since it was the end of the bag of Shrimp it was a feast with more shrimp.

Since I mentioned on Monday's Harvest the next Basil I picked I would make the compound butter thought I would share it here.
Basil/Garlic Butter

2 oz Fresh basil leaves (about 2 bunches)

10 oz Butter, softened (2-1/2 cubes)I use margarine and only 8 oz.

1 tsp Garlic, minced

1/4 tsp Salt

1/8 tsp Black pepper

3 T Grated parmesan cheese plus additional for garnish

1 T Grated romano cheese 

Once it is made I roll it into a log and freeze it for future use.  I probably use about 3 T. for the shrimp.

It is part of a recipe where it is all used on a pound of shrimp and a pound of pasta.

This post is part of The Gardener of Eden Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard.  Be sure to visit there to share recipes and see how others are using their harvest. 

Harvest Monday 1/09/12

Wow, I can't believe I haven't joined in Harvest Monday in a Month.  I haven't even had time to read all that everyone is doing.  Guess I need to manage my time a little better.

I am still harvesting from the Aero Garden.  This week I got 2 7/8 oz. of basil which I dried and a little parsley that went into my bean and bacon soup to finish it off.  The basil just won't stop and I have run out of things to do with it however, I guess the next batch will go into a compound butter.

 

Be sure to visit our host of Harvest Monday

at Daphne's Dandelions

and see what others are harvesting this past week. 

Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard 1/5

Can't believe it is Thursday already and I didn't get to do a post last week.  I guess the holidays messed up my schedule.

This week I was able to put back in the cupboard for a change.  It was stock week.  Had prime rib bones from Christmas that went into the stock pot.  Got 6 quarts from them.  3 quarts are now in the pantry plus made 2 quarts of beef barley soup and 2 quarts of vegetable beef soup.  Both went to DD and her DH since they gave me the bones.

Then one night I had chicken on the bone that had to be boiled so once the meat was picked from the bone the bones etc. went back into the broth and more stock was made.  This time got 3 1/2 quarts of chicken stock for the pantry.

Wednesday night had company from Spain for dinner.  Did a baked ham and yep you guested it the bone made it presence in the stock pot for Ham Stock.  That made 6 quarts of stock.  4 for the pantry and 2 into the bean and bacon soup for this weekend.  Have about 2 quarts of soup in the refrigerator.

 

I estimate it costs about $1.25 to make a pot of stock so a pretty good deal considering I couldn't buy one quart of stock for that price in the market.

Got a good deal on mushrooms on the managers sale this week also.  8 oz. packages of sliced mushrooms were $.99 so got 2 pounds and they immediately went into the dehydrator.  All in all a good pantry week.

Please visit our host of Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard

The Gardener of Eden

and see what everyone else has in the Cupboard this week.